Another beautiful 74F day in paradise. Today’s crowd was at least twice the previous high. They were lined up on the rope line a full 20 minutes before the players began to come out. Dustin Pedroia was by 2 minutes the 1st player on the field. Many loud cheers and kids crying out to favorites while waving autograph books or balls, etc. The routine warm-ups were quickly and for the most part efficiently executed. There were two women next to me on the fence. They were trying to get pictures of “favorite/better known” players. As the players were in lines while moving away from us in one exercise and coming directly back to us doing another, these ladies were having a terrible time getting frontal shots. They didn’t recognize the players from the front and when they turned and the ladies could see the numbers all the picture available was their back. They were quite upset so we would point out a player coming toward us and they’d get their shot. They were thankful but didn’t offer to buy us a beer.
Cheri had family in for the day so Dave, George and I took her 94 year old uncle under wing. He probably could have dealt on his own but we kinda kept him under shade and sitting often. We watched some pitcher fielding exercises and chatted about “back in the day.”
Cheri overheard a youngster ask his father,"What is the curse?"
The Dad replied ; "That's when Buckner let a ball go thru his legs and lost the world series for the Sox."
Anyone wanna bet on how few seconds it took Cheri to charge in with a correction? It started with the disclaimer and followed with a 2 minute disertation on Babe Ruth etc.
Several of the hitters took some easy BP against coaches pitching. More were in the cages with Iron Mikes. In that there was a Charity Golf Tournament scheduled for early this afternoon most of the players were in the locker by 11AM. A number including Mike Lowell signed autographs for the mob. As Lowell was coming off the field and again as he retired to the clubhouse chants of MVP, MVP rang out. Some
different from 2 springs ago when 2/3rds of SoSH wanted to “dump his contract for a bucket of BP balls.” Apparently disfavor as well as fame can be fleeting.
To be fair, Dice, Kyle Jackson and Bat Masterson were all doing extended running on Popowski
as and after the others had left the field.
We noticed a guy with a red tee shirt that said Red Sox Hall of Fame Players and there followed 4 columns of HoF players who had spent any time with the Sox. Cepeda, Seaver, Aparicio and Marichal quickly come to mind. Man a shirt like that is like the banners in the Gahden.
The Celts hand Championship banners, the Broons, Stanley Cup, Adams Division and recently
"participation" banners.
Tomorrow brings a full morning with lots of BP. I don’t know when the pitchers start tossing BP but that also has its interesting moments. I am also anxious to see who the team sets with Papi and Manny. This can be a very funny group. (‘Course it helps to speak a little Spanish.)
Edited to add: I forgot to mention that during the warm-ups Coco and Ellsbury were in lines next to each other. They were talking and joking throughout. It would appear that any ill feelings concerns are presently not visable. Mike
<> ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NO
MATCH FOR NATURAL STUPIDITY.
Edited by Mike F, 22 February 2008 - 08:21 PM.
